


Sleepless Nights and Starry Skies

by MidnightField



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: ;), Adora is a babe, After the events of Season 1, Angst, BITCH U THOUGHT, Dialogue, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gay, Glimmadora - Freeform, Glimmer is wonderful, LGBT, Multi, Post-Canon, Slow Burn, That good shit, and Bow is just Bow, big bitch she-ra could crush me, theyre just gals being pals, we love the bestfriend squad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-13 03:01:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16884411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightField/pseuds/MidnightField
Summary: When all is said and done, only those who survived are left to pick up the pieces. The battle for Brightmoon took more than what was once thought, especially with the Horde charging through the whispering woods and taking out anything in their path.Even after the fighting is over, the world still feels as though it's crashing down. Sometimes all you need is the feeling of a warm glow on your face to keep you going at the end of a sleepless night.





	1. Sleepless Nights & Starry Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora wakes up in the middle of the night and is visited unexpectedly.

A type of tranquillity and coldness came with a sleepless night. The subtle lacklustre pang of fatigue that'd gnaw at your conscience, saying _you'll regret this,_ once the clock hits three in the morning. It'd only really hit you when you stand up too fast. For any normal person, who'd woken up in the dead of night, the simple response is to try and sleep again, yet that didn't work for Adora. Not after the battle for Brightmoon.

There she sat, placid in her long breaths, blinking away the gound around her eyes. Her arms were curled tightly across her stomach and her legs were crossed, seeming as though she were bracing for an impact. Her eyes carried such distance as they shone from the glossy layer that coated the front, she seemed lost in the way she'd scan her surroundings and revisit them as if she wasn't understanding the situation.

It had been three days since she was told the extent of the damages caused by the Horde.

Images of lost children scouring the rubble, their hands and faces caked with umber dust, calling out for their parents flashed across her mind. The people calling out for She-Ra, the hero they'd been told would save them, to come help. 

She-Ra never came.

That terrified Adora in ways she didn't think possible. What if she couldn't be there for her friends one day? What if someone got hurt because of her? 

Her hand reached tentatively over her shoulder to grace over the top of the scars left by Catra. They rose in humps, still red and slightly inflamed; she tried to soothe the constant sting with her fingertips yet to no avail. Her caution was rewarded when a sudden throb of pain came from the deepest scar and she retreated to her previous position of clutching herself, her eyes squeezing shut.

Suddenly, the door to the bedroom clicked, sending Adora to slam back down to the bed to pretend she was sleeping, despite her injuries. She regretted the action almost immediately as her eyes welled up slightly and her fists clenched. She kept one eye open a little to glance to the light that cascaded through the crack of the door, a small shadow obstructing the bottom of it.

"Oh, thank god you're asleep..." she heard a tender voice mutter to themselves.

Adora expected that to be the end of it, but once she heard the light pitter patter of someone trying to tread carefully, she finally sat up once again.

"Hello...?" She called into the blurred darkness around her, "who is it?"

"Oh!-" the voice seemed surprised, and became very quiet once again, "it's Glimmer."

"Glimmer? What are you doing in my room?"

"Well... I-um.."

Adora deadpanned to the dark mass standing at the foot of her bed though she couldn't really make out Glimmer's face.

"I was just... checking on you, yeah," Glimmer seemed pleased with her answer as she visibly nodded to herself,

"Uh... why?"

"To see if you were awake, I mean, I wasn't wrong either."

Adora stared.

"You know... to see if you still got the _nightmares,_ " Glimmer whispered the last word as if it were some forbidden curse,

" _I'm not sensitive to the wor-_ Okay," Adora rubbed her face and pulled her eyelids down with her thumb and index finger, letting them come up again before continuing, "you _still_ check on me?"

"Well... yeah," the other girl placed her hands behind her back and rocked ever so slightly on her feet, "ever since the battle here I... I worry about you."

Adora softened and loosened up her shoulders.

"And... I suppose... I haven't been sleeping well either..."

"Clearly," Adora snorted, finally seeing Glimmer's face in the light as she rocked a little too far forward.

She looked awful, to be frank, she had bags under her eyes and her skin seemed to lose that flare. She looked shattered.

"Hey! You don't look too great yourself," she poked,

"At least I know that," Adora grinned, shuffling up her bed to swing her legs over the edge, "wanna just sit and chat? On the windowsill?"

"Sure, I'd like that."

Adora stood and her hands immediately shot forward to balance herself. She strolled towards the window, Glimmer at her six, with her lips curling up ever so slightly. She sat on the windowsill, her back to the frame and her feet propped wherever felt most comfortable. Glimmer followed the same approach yet with an added clumsiness that Adora couldn't help but chuckle at. There was something so sweet about watching the girl try and lift both legs onto the windowsill while still keeping her balance: it's not like its a small ledge, it's quite large honestly, yet Glimmer still struggled.

"So," the midnight intruder began, "why are you awake?"

The other shrugged, her blue eyes scanning out over the rows of towering trees and bustling shrubbery. Part of her wondered if she was looking for something, if so, what?

"You've got to give me more to work with here, Adora," she sighed, trying to follow where the other was looking,

"I just can't sleep," she grumbled, "I keep seeing images of what _they_ must've done to innocent people,"

"There was nothing we could've done."

"We could've tried?"

"Adora, we were protecting our home. We didn't have time."

"But we're just sitting here, letting them pick up the pieces. We're not even helping, Glimmer. They look to me to rescue them, but I struggle to even know how to control myself- or- her? _She-Ra._ Remember that time with Perfuma? She asked me to heal her land and I was so lost. My last hope for some idea on what's happening to me was Light-Hope, but she was little help. She wanted me to leave everything I knew behind just to find out who I am. Heck, I don't even know what I am," Adora threw her hands up and let them crash back down to her lap, a frustrated huff came from her lips.

The response hung in the air with neither of the women wanting to catch the other's eyeline.

Glimmer opened her mouth to speak before closing it abruptly. She waited a few moments before beginning.

"This isn't your fault, Adora," she saw the other open her mouth but she held up a finger as a silent, _I'm not finished,_ "we all feel guilty, but that's the thing we need to look past. We can't be there to save everyone. We can try, but sometimes it just isn't possible. The sooner you accept that the better version of She-Ra you will be."

Adora pondered that for a moment, she looked down to her hands and studied the lines and dents, realising she was her own self. She was secure. She was here.

"And the nightmares...?" Glimmer urged.

"... Still there."

"Oh, Adora..." Glimmer sighed and shuffled along the windowsill to place a tender hand on the other girl's knee, "you should've told me... or Bow,"

"I know," she sighed, "I just didn't want to be a burden."

"A burden? You're not a burden. Besides, it's always nice to have a literal heater in your bed,"

"Heater?"

"Yeah! You're always boiling hot. Then when we share my bed it's like a bloody sauna," Glimmer laughed

"Oh?" Adora's cheeks burned and she hoped her scarlet complexion wasn't as obvious as she thought it was.

The laughter died down after a few seconds and the two went into a comfortable silence.

Adora snuck small glances towards her smaller counterpart and admired the sparkles that would come and go in Glimmer's hair, suitable name. There was something about the other girl that made Adora's heart race, whatever it was, she couldn't put her finger on it. Maybe it was the piercing glance she'd give her? Those auburn eyes were quite the sight up close; a galaxy of brown winding threads like a piece of yarn with a loose end. As Adora glanced, more and more thoughts came into her head and she tried to wave them away as her mind decided that analysing every sparkle in Glimmer's hair was a good idea. She squeezed her eyes shut until the talking ended and she finally sunk more into the window frame, her muscles finally releasing the tight grip they seemed to have. She blinked away her tiredness and scanned the jejune colours of the sky. Apart from the stars, it was extremely plain. A deep navy accompanied by nothing else seemed boring, yet she knew that when morning came, it would all be worth the wait. Maybe she'd try and stay up till morning, hopefully, Glimmer would've fallen asleep and she'd wake her up. Then she paused, why was Glimmer awake in the first place? That's when she decided to ask.

"Why are you awake?"

Glimmer was silent, she continued to stare forward. The other thought that maybe she hadn't heard her and she opened her mouth to repeat until a reply finally came.

"I was... scared..." she paused, "terrified actually,"

"Huh? Why?" 

"I..." she sighed, "I thought I'd lost you."

Adora blinked.

"I dreamt that we'd lost, but not just Brightmoon. I saw you, lying face-down at the bottom of a ditch, dust in your cape and hair. It was... awful..."

"It... It was only a dream," Adora sat up straight and spread her legs around Glimmer to reel her in close,

"One that wasn't too unrealistic," Glimmer whispered, placing her head down on Adora's chest, "you being She-Ra makes those kinds of dreams feel so real or as if I was looking to the future..."

Adora pulled the other so close it felt as if they couldn't breathe. Her hands refused to release the smaller girl from her grip as she hoped she could shelter her from the world. Something so precious shouldn't have to experience these feelings or even have to think about your bestfriend dying, let alone in a dream.

"You won't do anything stupid, right?" Glimmer's voice sounded shaky as it came from Adora's chest, "as in, sacrifice yourself or try and save people you can't help?"

"I... I can't promise anything," Adora felt Glimmer stiffen in her arms, "but I'll try my best."

"That's all you can do..." Glimmer whispered.

The two sat together, Glimmer's head on Adora's chest as they both started out to the sky. It still had stars dotted about the almost cerulean skies. Like a Van Gogh painting, the stars curled and twisted along the solar system line that was just visible amongst the bright moon. The stillness of the world at this time made it so appealing: there was nothing to worry about.

"I can hear your heartbeat," Glimmer whispered, "it's going pretty fast,"

Adora blushed mildly and cleared her throat strategically.

"It's nice," the smaller girl continued, cuddling into the other's chest more, "I don't get to hear it that often, if at all."

The blonde smiled and loosened up. She allowed herself to even close her eyes and listen to the rhythmic breathing of the smaller girl. She felt truly relaxed for the first time in a while. It was hard being She-Ra with everyone's eyes on you when something went wrong. It was hard being the hero that would save the day while still having no clue why you are the hero. Adora wondered often about where she came from as she'd sometimes be lead on by vision and flashes of her past that seemed too real to just be her daydreaming. It felt as though fate lead to this moment. Obviously, she was the only one who could pick up a sword and become an eight-foot woman, but she still wondered if it could've been anyone else. 

She wouldn't trade it for the world. Especially, as a rambunctious purple haired idiot and a Bow wielding genius who'd set the record straight changed her life for the better.  

Not to mention the moment she was in then, with Glimmer on her chest and the sweet hum and chirp of parrots reminded her she was safe. She was home.

 

 

 


	2. Out The Closet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Glimmer are greeted by an unwanted visitor and a storm looms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone have any good maths revision websites? sis about to f a i l the education system

A certain odour came when two people slept in the same room as each other. Underneath the sleepy sweat and morning breath yawns there was an air of fragility. Especially, at that moment where two gathered from a fear that neither could control. Asleep on the windowsill, breathing deeply and calmly, the world was quiet. Not in a way it could be too quiet, no, it was quite pleasant. It could be considered boring, but if you listened close enough the world would come alive. Distant chirps of morning birds accompanied the forest crunch and thump of nocturnal animals retreating to burrows, the quiet trickle of the fountain in the bedroom and the ongoing drone of soft snoring from both people was what made this a tender morning. Mother nature graced her power with the sunbeams that sprawled across the land, touching every inch. Her warm breeze drifted across towering mountains and tangling forests in journeys to nowhere. Their directions could not be traced or predicted.

One breeze managed to flow straight through the window and caress Adora's face with a loving rub, one that awoke her from her light slumber.

"Morning, Glimmer," she croaked, her voice audibly cracked from the lack of use,

"Mmph.." the other grumbled into Adora's chest, burying her head deeper,

"You're going to have to get up at some point."

"Not now..." 

"I'm pinned down."

"Then stay here."

For some reason, those words echoed in Adora's mind. She swallowed thickly through the morning phlegm and blinked long and hard. Stay here. Well, of course, she'd do that. She would never leave Glimmer, even over something so simple as being used as a pillow. The words seemed tossed, almost meaningless as they came from a sleepy mind that hadn't quite clocked yet. Adora stared down, perplexed, at the purple bush of hair that hid the girl's face. She wanted to see it. See if her eyes gave meaning and her face gave heart. 

Adora licked her chapped lips and coughed into her fist as the morning dryness felt like tar, sticking to the back of her throat. She lifted a shaky hand and glanced at it for a moment, her brief insecurities about her identity tried to consume her thoughts, however, all she wanted to think about at that moment was Glimmer. She carded those trembling fingers through the purple locks below and rested her other hand on her lower back. Glimmer visibly melted into Adora's chest and gave a content, but mildly bemused, groan into the other's chest. Adora had never done this before.

"That feels nice," Glimmer sleepily blabbered, "good... keep... going..."

"I plan to," Adora giggled softly, "you're shattered, aren't you?"

"Mhm hm.." 

"Well, I won't disturb you then."

She stayed put, her hands brushing softly and a sweet hum coming from her lips. She even closed her eyes and thought she'd drifted off for a bit as the next time she opened them was only due to a harsh knocking from her bedroom door.

"Glimmer~" the blonde whispered melodiously, "you need to move,"

"Hnng... five more minutes..." Glimmer gripped Adora's sides, just under the armpits tightly,

"Hey, stop-shh-that tickles," Adora squirmed for a moment, prying the smaller girl's hands off her sides and moving them to lower down, "okay, shove off,"

"Noo~"

"Yes, oh my god, this isn't even a debate-"

The knock became harsher.

"Right, you're choice."

Adora pushed out from under Glimmer and fell straight to the hard floor with a tremendous thump. She stood, rubbing her backside, and grumbled something incoherent under her breath. She approached the door and opened it calmly, immediately looking up. The person standing there instilled her with a deep anxiety that sent chills to Adora's spine.

"Have you seen my Glimmer anywhere?" Queen Angella spoke.

The sentence was seemingly sweet, however, the delivery said otherwise.

"Oh!- Um she's..."

In the background, Glimmer appeared to have found her energy as she stood at such a speed that'd give Swiftwind a run for his money.

"Well...?"

"She's... not here! She went out to..." Adora tried to piece together a story in her head, "... find Swiftwind!"

"Are you sure, Adora?" Something about the Queen's tone unsettled Adora.

Glimmer looked around the room desperately for an escape as teleporting would've been too loud. She scoured the area for a place close enough as to not be spotted from the door. See, the window was situated behind a curtain in the middle of the room that surrounded Adora's bed. She was in cover for now, but if Angella wanted to investigate, she was screwed. The issue with Glimmer being found was the fact that Angella would assume the two were going out, an assumption that these two _bestfriends_ wouldn't want coming their way. The smaller girl realised the door was angled in such a way that she could perhaps run to the closet on the left of the room.

That was it, the best plan.

In a quiet, yet desperate dash, she crossed the room with her eyes locked on Adora as she stalled. Glimmer slipped into the closet and gave a thumbs up as Adora glanced to the cause of the quiet patter of feet.

"Right... well, your room looks quite lovely now that you've settled in. Mind if I have a look?" Angella smiled. She never smiles, at least, not at Adora too often.

"Uh... yeah... of course..." Adora wiped her sweaty palms on her trousers as the Queen passed her and stepped about the room.

The Queen almost glided about the room, her hands held tightly against her cadaverous back. Adora had hoped the Queen had warmed to her, nevertheless, she always knew she wouldn't fully accept her from her previous affiliations. It seemed almost futile to continue attempting to get on her good side. There was no winning with her, whether that be as a friend of Glimmer's or an enemy. That's who she cared about most, her daughter.

"Very... you... I suppose," as Angella said that, she glanced to a pile of clothes in the corner,

"Uh-Heh..." Adora rubbed the back of her neck,

"I don't suppose Glimmer was too involved in the moving in process," she eyed a lonely feather on the floor, courtesy of one of the first nights in Brightmoon,

"Well I uh- I guess.."

Adora's eyes darted to the closet for a moment as she saw the door open a crack. She mouthed, hang in there, before hurrying back to Angella's side. They both approached the door, the inspection over, and Adora looked up to the Queen.

"Pleasant..." Queen Angella paused, she blinked for a moment and made direct eye contact with Adora before speaking again, "Glimmer I know you're in her closet." 

 "HOW!"

The shout came from behind the doors. Adora visibly cringed, bringing a hand to cover her face as she let out a croaky "oh my god."

Glimmer came stumbling out the doors and organised her hair with her nimble fingers before almost squaring up to her mother.

"Ah, look, you finally came out the closet," Angella murmured with a straight face.

"Wha- Mom?!" Glimmer choked out, her face taking on the look of a deep sunset, "what are you talking about?"

Adora, completely oblivious to whatever the closet comment was about, looked to Glimmer then Angella as their back and forth continued. 

"It was merely a joke!" Angella held her hands up, her voice raising,

"Well, it wasn't funny!" Glimmer's face had reached colours Adora didn't think possible, "ugh... I'm sorry,"

The small girl deflated, aware of how worked up she'd become over something stupid. She sighed and glanced to Adora's bemused expression.

"Right... well, I will leave you two be. I hope to see you at dinner," Angella made a move to leave,

"Of course, mother."

"And you, Adora,"

"Huh?" Adora's brow furrowed and the door clicked shut.

The two stood there for a moment, staring at one another. Adora's mouth hung slightly agape and her eyes were squinted as she looked to the door then back. Glimmer looked a complete mess. Her face appeared to be the colour of fire while also the same temperature. The oblivious expression Adora upheld only pushed Glimmer deeper into the pits of embarrassment as she was the only one who could wallow in the exchange.

"Well, that was interesting," Adora chirped,

"For you, I'm sure," Glimmer facepalmed, "that was so embarrassing..."

"Really? How so?"

Glimmer paused and stared to the blonde, bemused.

"You don't even know what we were talking about, do you?"

"... Uhh... nope."

Almost like a stage cue to end the conversation, a crack of thunder tore the two from their contrasting expressions towards each other.

"Woah... it's raining?" Glimmer questioned, taking tentative steps towards the window.

The Horde after experimenting on the Black Garnet had brought storms, so this abnormal weather unsettled both Glimmer and Adora.

"Y-You don't think they've started again, Glim?"

"I... I doubt it..." 

 

The two stood by the window in silence, perhaps waiting for the other to speak. It took a while before either even considered conversing again as they stared out to the approaching storm. The ebony rain against the deep, dark grey clouds reflected like shattered diamonds in the light that poured from the bedroom. It was getting a lot darker; the lightning, elegant in its dance and deadly in its touch, cascaded across the gloomy sky, neglectful to those afraid of the roaring boom that followed after. It seemed like a normal storm, however. At least that'd calm Adora down a little.

"Are we seeing Bow today?" Adora asked out of the blue.

"I'm sure we will, yesterday he said he was going to be with his dads all morning to check they're alright."

"Ah, right, right..."

The thunder crackled and boomed. Adora flinched, bringing a hand habitually across her stomach to rest on her hip. It was a strange response to anxiety, but one that she picked up from standing to attention as a soldier. No matter how scared you are, you must follow orders. When a Force Captain would yell "attention," the young Adora would cross one arm across her stomach from right to left with the other going behind her back. She'd told Glimmer about this several days ago when she responded similarly to someone knocking at her bedroom door when she was first settling in.

"Are you scared of the storm?" Glimmer observed,

"N-No?" She huffed, visibly uncomfortable and forcing her arms to stay at her sides, "it's just a little chilly."

"Right..."

"I mean it..."

Glimmer squinted and a part of her panged with sadness at the way Adora's eyes darted across the outside world. Like rabbits being chased by foxes, they didn't stay stationary and that wasn't even the worst part.

Her hands.

Those dainty, small hands. Soft to the touch and firm with her fighting passion. Once strong and full of courage, they were shaking. As if it were below freezing, her fingers were dug into her palms as both hands shook. It seemed like a minute detail that'd go unnoticed, however, Glimmer despised the way the storm visibly terrified Adora.

"Do you mind...?" Glimmer held her hand out, waiting for Adora to answer without words.

Adora grabbed the other's hand, smiling slightly as she did. 

Glimmer shot that goofy smile that made her eyes twinkle like a thousand galaxies, it gave Adora this warm, fuzzy feeling that she couldn't pin down a reason. In a quick flash, Glimmer had teleported the two to her bedroom on that bed that was suspended by wires. She collapsed onto the sea of comfort and blankets and pulled the other down with her.

"Now," Glimmer began, "you can relax, away from that window."

"What? I can't get down!"

"That's the point! I don't want you getting scared."

"I'm not afraid of the sto-" an abnormally loud crack sounded as if it ricocheted across the room and Adora almost squeaked, hugging herself tightly.

"Relax, I've got you," Glimmer wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders, "you're safe here."

There was silence for a moment before Glimmer spoke again.

"You're safe with me."

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to my first She-Ra fanfiction! I was so tired writing this that I fell asleep around the 1500 word mark so if it seems a little choppy, it's because I forgot what was actually happening.
> 
> Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read this and, if you're interested, here's my Instagram.  
> @GayerThanAdora  
> (Fitting, right?)


End file.
